Mail-box.



No. 730,762. PATBNTED JUNE 9; 1903. G. GRAVEH.

- MAIL BOX. APPLICATION FILED mm. 24, 1903.

N0 MODEL.

mi uoqms wrrzns co. mom-umo. WASHINGYON, n. cy

Patented .iune 9, 1903.

PATENT I FFIC GARRET GRAVEN, OF OOSTBURG, WISCONSIN.

MAIL-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 730,762, dated June 9,1903.

Application filed February 24,1903. Serial No. 144,744. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GARRET GRAVEN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Oostburg, in the county of Sheboygan and State of Wisconsin,have invented a new and useful Mail Box, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to mail-boxes, more particularly to boxes of thischaracterv employed in connection with the rural mail-de livery service,and has for its objects to simplify and cheapen the construction of suchdevices, to increase their convenience and efficiency, and to lessen thelabor of collecting and delivering the mail; and the invention consistsin certain novel features of the construction, as hereinafter shown anddescribed, and specified in the claims.

In the drawings illustrative of the invention, in which correspondingparts are indicated by like designating characters, Figure 1 is aperspective View of the device closed. Fig. 2 is a transverse section.Fig. 3 is a per: spective view of the swinging mail-receptacle and itsattachments disconnected.

In this invention is comprised an inclosing casing 10, preferablycylindrical and of suitable capacity and mounted upon a postor othersupport 11 at a convenient point and at a suitable height to accommodatethe m ailcarrier. The casing may be of any required size and whenemployed in connection with the rural delivery service will beconstructed in conformity with the recommendations of the Post-Oflioeauthorities. Generally these receptacles will be about eighteen incheslong and eight inches in diameter; but it will be understood that thesedimensions may be varied to any required extent, as circumstances mayrequire. The casing will preferably be of galvanized iron or steel ofsuitable strength and will be provided with a longitudinal aperture 12through one side and will likewise be provided with hollow studs 13,extending centrally from the ends and in longitudinal alinement relativeto the casing. The aperture 12 is provided with a cover 14, curved toconform to the casing, and with wings 15 16, extending from its ends andjournaled upon the projecting portions of the studs 13, so that thecover will swing around the studs as centers and cover and uncover theaperture. The edges of the aperture 12 will be rolled outwardly, asshown at 17 18 in Fig. 2, and the cover member will be formed with anofiset lip 19, extending from its upper edge and closely engagingthe'surface of the casing above the rolled edge 17 to form amoisture-tight joint between the cover and easing at that point. Thelower edge of the cover member is formed with a relatively large roll 20and extended outwardly to a sufficient distance to provide means for theready engagement therewith of the back of the hand or wrist or fingersof the carrier when opening the cover. By this simple arrangement thecarrier can open the casing with the same hand that holds the mail to bedeposited or with the hand without removing mitten or glove, which is animportant advantage in cold weather.

Extending from one end of the casing 10 is a stop 21, so disposed thatthe end bracket formed by the wing 15 will strike it when the cover isopened, and thus limit the rearward movement of the cover and hold itopen in position to be closed bya mere touch. Within the casing ismovably disposed a mailsupport operative by the weight of the maildeposited thereon and connected to a signal mechanism,so that the signalwill be operated by the moving of the mail-support. The support will beso constructed and arranged that it will-be operated both in depositingmail for collection by the carrier or when mail is deposited by thecarrier and operating the signal for the benefit of both the carrier andthe box-owner. This mail-support consists of a swinging plate 22,preferably of metal and forming a partition longitudinally of the casingand connected to a signal-carrying arm which serves to overbalance theplate and hold it in a substantiallyhorizontal position when empty, asshown in Fig. 2.

The plate 22' is connected to a Wire frame 23, having its ends 24extended through'the hollow studs 13, which thus become the bearings onwhich the plate swings by one of its edges.

One of the pins 24 is extended into a rod 25, having a signal-flag orothersuitable denoting member 26 upon its free end, as shown, the rodextending oppositely to the plate and heavy enough to overbalance it andhold it normally in'a horizontal position, as shown in Fig. By thismeans so long as the support 22 is empty the signal will remaindepressed and denote to both the carrier and to the person owning thebox that the box is empty.

The plate 22 is provided with a spring-clip 27 to assist in holding themail deposited in the receptacle and will be located upon the upper sideof the plate when the latter is in its upper position, as in full linesin Fig. 2. By this simple arrangement when the carrier approaches thebox if he has no mail to deliver and observes that the signal 26 isdepressed he passes along, as the depressed position of the signaldenotes that there is no mail to be collected.

If the carrier has mail to deliver, he paysno attention to the signal,but grasps the mail in one hand and may, it he prefers, open the door 14by means of the back of the hand which holds the mail, as beforedescribed, and lay the mail upon the horizontally-poised plate 22 orbeneath the clip 27 and withdraws his hand and closes the cover by alight touch, as before mentioned. The weight of the deposited mailoverbalances the plate 22 and throws the signal into its upwardposition, and thus denotes to the owners of the box that mail has beendeposited therein. If when the carrier approaches the box the signal iselevated, he is thus notified that mail has been deposited forcollection by the owner, who by inserting it beneath the clip 27 causesits weight to overcome the signal and elevate it in the same manner aswhen the carrier deposits mail in the receptacle.

If the carrier has no mail to deliver, he simply removes the maildeposited for collection, and by reason of the construction shown thiscan be done, as before noted, without removing gloves or mittens, as thedoor can be opened and the mail swept from the receiver into the pouchwith mittened or gloved hands. If the carrier has mail to deliver andfinds mail deposited for collection, then he first removes this mail anddeposits the mail for delivery. It will be obvious that when mail isboth delivered and collected the signal will remain elevated, as theplate 22 will be constantly weighted.

Extending along the bottom of the casing just in advance of the bottomline of the plate 22 when depressed, as shown in Fig. 2, is a rod orWire 28, between which and the plate any mail-matter, such as a postalcard, too light to overbalance the flag 26, may be in- I sorted, to lockthe plate in its depressed position.

The whole device is very simple in construction, easily operated, andcontains no complicated parts to get out of order or broken by roughusage.

The contents-of the casing are thoroughly protected from the elements,and the device being wholly of metal will not be deteriorated thereby.

Various changes and modifications might be resorted to in the details ofthe construction without departing from the principle of the inventionor sacrificing any of its advantages, and I wish it to be understoodthat I .do not wish to be limited to the precise details set forth, butreserve the right to such modifications and changes as may fall withinthe scope of the claims.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim is' 1. In a mail-box aninclosing casing, a mailreceiver swinging from one edge within saidcasing, a rod extending from said receiver and carrying a signal andadapted to be operated by the movement of said receiver, sub--stantially as described.

2. In a mail-box, an inclosing casing, having an opening in one side andwith hollow vstuds extending from its opposite ends in longitudinalalinement therewith, a mail-receiver having pins extending from one edgeand journaled in said studs, whereby said receiver is movably poisedwithin said casing, and a rod extending from one of said pins andcarrying a signal, and movable with the swinging movement of saidreceiver, substantially as described.

3. In a mail-box, an inclosing casing having an opening in one side andwith hollow studs extending from its opposite ends in longitudinalalinement therewith, a mail-re ceiver having pins extended from one edgeand journaled in said studs, whereby said receiver is movably poisedwithin said casing, a rod extending from one of said pins and carrying asignal, and 'movable with the swinging movement of said receiver, and acover to said opening and provided with wings movably engaging saidhollow studs, substantially as described.

4. In a mail-box, an inclosingcasing, a mail-receiver movably disposedwithin said casing and adapted to be operated by the weight of the maildeposited thereon, a signal connected to said mail-receiver andoperative thereby, and a stop disposed within said casing adjacent tothe free edge of said movable plate when in its depressed position toform means for supporting mail-matter too GARRET cRAvEN.

Witnesses:

PETER DUANE, S. EDWARD HINBREGTSO.

